Q In elderly patients with major depression who respond to treatment, does maintenance treatment with paroxetine, psychotherapy, or a combination thereof prevent recurrence of depression?

METHODS

Design:

randomised, 2 × 2 factorial design, placebo controlled trial.

Allocation:

concealed.*

Blinding:

blinded (clinicians, patients, and outcome assessors). Clinicians and patients were not blinded to the psychotherapy intervention.

Follow up period:

2 years.

Setting:

specialised university based clinic in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.

Patients:

116 patients ⩾70 years of age (mean age 77 y, 65% women) who had major depression according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM-IV) criteria, scores ⩾15 on the Hamilton …

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Copyright information:

Copyright 2006 by the RCN Publishing Company and BMJ Publishing Group for Evidence-Based Nursing